Birthday Surprises
by NonyMouse
Summary: Troy has a surprise birthday party. Birthday fic for FallingWithGrace. Has SLASH.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own HSM.

**AN:** This is a birthday present for FallingWithGrace. It's a little late, and not my best work, but I've been having a lot of writer's block. I hope you like it, or that it at least can make you smile.

XXXXXX

"Hey, Ryan!" Ryan Evans sprinted down the hallway, calling out to Troy Bolton. It was the end of the day, and Troy was just leaving.

"Yeah, what do you need?" Troy stopped, wondering what was going on.

"Ms. Darbus wants us in the auditorium, to go over something for the play, again," Ryan said, grinning sympathetically at Troy.

Troy groaned quietly and followed Ryan. The day had been nothing but awful, and it was his birthday. No one had remembered, he'd had three tests, forgotten his precalculus homework, and now he was needed in the gym by his least favorite teacher for some no doubt pointless task. This birthday sucked.

"What does she need us for, anyway?" he asked.

Ryan looked at him and smiled mischievously. "You'll see."

Sighing, Troy rolled his eyes. Though most people would never have guessed it, Ryan could be the most annoying person when he wanted to be. Right now was apparently one of those times when he wanted to be.

They finally reached the entrance to the auditorium, and Ryan glanced at him with a secret smile in his eyes before opening the doors. They walked in and Troy stopped in shock.

"Surprise!"

All of his friends were gathered on the stage underneath a huge banner proclaiming, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TROY'.

Ryan moved away from his side as everyone crowded around him, wishing him a happy birthday and joking about how old he was getting. Troy stood in the center of the mass of everyone he considered a friend, not really paying attention to anything going on around him. He couldn't believe it. They hadn't forgotten at all.

"Hey Troy," Chad said, "I bet you thought we forgot about your birthday. You should have seen the look on your face when you came in; it was priceless. The surprise party was Ryan's idea. He wanted to do something different than your usual family party, because it's your last year of High School, and we all agreed. You needed a party." Troy nodded dumbly, still amazed that his friends would go to this much trouble for him.

When Gabriella came up to him, smiling like everyone else, he was surprised to see her there. She had asked him out after the Twinkle Town musical, and he turned her down. After that, things had been a little cold between them. Now, however, she was beaming and seemed genuinely happy.

"Troy," she called, "are you ever going to open your presents?"

This question brought about a general clamor of agreement.

"All right," Troy yelled, to stop the repeated calls of 'Presents, presents' coming from most of the people in the auditorium. "I'll open them! Just stop chanting. Seriously, you guys sound like zombies."

Walking over to the pile of presents near the stage, he dug through them and pulled one out at random. It was from Chad. Chad had gotten him a basketball signed by his favorite basketball player. The next gift he pulled from the pile was Gabriella's. She had put together a scrapbook of the Twinkle Town play, including photos from the auditions and the championship basketball game that had taken place at the same time as the auditions.

He went through the entire pile, and it was only when he had opened the last one, a DVD of RENT from Sharpay, that he realized what was missing. There was no present from Ryan. He turned and searched for the blond, but couldn't find him anywhere. A twinge of hurt flashed through his heart, but he squashed it down, telling himself there must have been a reason. Maybe the DVD was supposed to be a joint gift from both Evans twins. This thought made the hurt stronger.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and a spotlight appeared on the stage. When Troy's eyes adjusted, he noticed that Ryan was standing in the spotlight and wondered what was going on. Ryan started speaking, then, and he was filled with a sudden hope.

"My present," Ryan began, "cannot be wrapped. I would like to make an announcement; Troy, can you come up here?"

Troy, his heart beating faster, ascended the steps onto the stage.

"I would like to announce that Troy and I are going out. We have been dating for exactly two months now."

Troy was speechless. He had been bugging Ryan about coming out together ever since they began dating, but the other boy had never seemed ready. He would always come up with some excuse about why they could not. Now, hearing Ryan's words, Troy found that he couldn't have wished for a better present. At least, until Ryan spoke his next bit.

"Troy, I would also like to say, I love you."

A collective "Aww" went up from the girls, and even the guys found it rather sweet, in a manly sort of way. Troy, however, didn't know what to say. Ryan had never said that before. Ryan made the need for words insignificant in the next moment by wrapping his arms around him and giving him the best kiss of his life. It was a kiss with love, and that mattered more than anything else.

It may have started out bad, but Troy would remember this birthday as one of the best he'd ever had.

**AN:** Happy birthday, FWG!


End file.
